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The Baltimore Ravens landed a quality wide receiver with former Minnesota Golden Gophers pass catcher Rashod Bateman with the No. 27 overall pick. Bateman was a sure-handed, go-to wide receiver in college, and he has an opportunity to develop a solid career in the NFL moving forward.
Bateman had a breakout season in 2019 with 1,219 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Then, in 2020 he opted out of the season before opting back in. After playing five games, he called it a career to get himself ready for the NFL Draft. He caught 36 passes for 472 yards with a pair of touchdown receptions.
Scouting Report
Bateman has plenty of traits that could lead to him developing into a quality wide receiver on the outside for the Ravens. He has tremendous hands and excels at adjusting his body in the air to make a play on the football, which should be key in creating more first downs and extending drives. Bateman was inconsistent against some of the best cornerbacks he faced, but with more experience, he could make a difference against NFL secondaries.
Fantasy football impact
Rookie
The Ravens had one of the NFL’s worst passing attacks last season. They ranked last in passing yards and Marquise Brown led Baltimore with 769 receiving yards and eight scores. No other wideout eclipsed 450 receiving yards, so there was a clear need for depth. Mark Andrews will likely continue to be Lamar Jackson’s go-to guy, Bateman could give Brown a run for his money. The rookie isn’t as fast as Brown but is bigger and has a sub-4.4 second 40-yard dash. Bateman’s releases are much more refined than Brown’s and his size makes him better suited for making contested catches. Jackson led the NFL in passing touchdowns just two seasons ago, and a bounce-back year could make Bateman one of 2021’s better rookies.
Long-term
Bateman has a few traits that could make him a star. He has the speed to get in behind defenses, an array of releases, strong hands, and the ability to improvise on off-schedule plays. Getting better at beating press coverage would raise his ceiling, but he probably won’t be elite with a run-first team like Baltimore.